Lisa Petty
Audio By Carbonatix
Relax, it’s not a hallucination (though we might know what you’ve been up to after work these days). The herd of farm animals you just saw grazing through some of the most expensive real estate in North Texas? They’re supposed to be right there, doing just that. It’s all part of a plan. Sort of.
“What started out with the idea to hire 15-20 animals has now blossomed into a herd of 400,” says Will Dawson, a Board Member with the Friends of Northaven Trail.
Backing up, for those unfamiliar: the Northaven Trail, completed in 2023, is a nine-mile paved path running through North Dallas between Central Expressway and Denton Drive. The Trail is part of the city’s Parks and Recreation system, and much of its loving care and beautification is the work of a whole village of helicopter parents — er, volunteers — in the form of the aforementioned Friends. On any given day, the trail is filled with joggers, cyclists and toddlers on trikes. It’s dotted with Austin stone pavilions, a cute, hand-painted Little Library and memorials for beloved family pets.
Northaven Trail also boasts 50 donation-supported, expertly tended “no-mow zones.” Designed as pollinator areas, these green spaces serve an important ecological purpose. They are intentionally left unmowed so that native grasses and flowers can thrive, providing nourishment and protection for birds, butterflies, bees, and other local fauna. But even a “no-mow zone” requires some trimming. Enter the herd.
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“We wanted to create a natural, low-impact approach to trail maintenance that supports our native habitat,” says Dawson. “My fellow trail board member, Dorothy Buechel, is a master naturalist and the driving force behind our re-wilding projects. She and I started brainstorming an approach to the annual clearing process, and it grew from there.”
The pair consulted with Chris Morris from the Dallas Parks Department, who touted the benefits of having sheep and goats graze the trail. Specifically, as the animals munch through the tangled upper “thatch layer,” their hooves aerate the soil, a combo that allows for improved natural seed germination. There’s also some beneficial stuff involving poop, but we’ll leave that to your Googling device of choice. Anyway, Morris referred Dawson to Open Space, a local company that specializes in environmentally-friendly land clearing, and voila, Northaven’s just a Gabor sister short of Green Acres.
As of Wednesday, Oct. 15, 30 no-mow zones began the grazing process with the help of 400 goats and sheep. A team of shepherds, accompanied by Border Collies, will tend them around the clock, ensuring the animals’ safety and overall well-being. Moving from zone to zone, the entire buffet will take between a few days and a few weeks — it’s hard to say. As anyone with kids can tell you (get it? the namesake for baby goats), they eat at their own pace and they don’t stop until they’re full.
Through the Northaven Trail “Flock Finder,” you can track the herd’s progress and note important safety and etiquette information.
